Dear Friends and Family,
If there’s one word to sum up 2024, it’s eventful. (Honestly, it feels like we lived five years in one.) It’s been a whirlwind of blessings, chaos, laughter, and a few moments where we just looked at each other and said, “Well, that’s on brand for us.” So, here’s the recap of the year we survived—and by God’s grace even thrived.
Let’s kick things off with the big news: we bought a house! After years of dreaming and praying, we finally found a place to call home. It’s a lovely two-story dream come true… well, it was a dream until four days later when Brittany decided to upstage the housewarming party by giving birth to our sixth child, Boaz Clive. (Because, why not add a newborn to a house full of moving boxes?) Boaz arrived in true Fine fashion—faster than Amazon Prime and more dramatic than a season finale. The midwives didn’t even have time to hit our driveway before Brittany, seasoned pro that she is by now (it is the sixth kid, after all), turned our bathroom into a delivery room. Eden, with all the grace of a dad catching a rogue football, caught his son like a pro. (Honestly, he’s probably adding it to his LinkedIn skills.) We adore our sweet Boaz—though we haven’t exactly slept since.
Our new house, however, decided it wasn’t done with surprises. A few months in, a flood swept through the downstairs, ruining the floors and drywall. Let’s just say we became very familiar with our local hardware store and learned that ShopVacs are a homeowner’s best friend.
Oh, and did we mention the lice? Because apparently, the Fine family needed to add a small, itchy epidemic to the chaos. Yes, at one point, all six kids and Brittany got lice. We’re convinced it was a team-building exercise orchestrated by God to strengthen our patience and humility. (And Eden now has strong opinions about lice shampoo, if anyone needs recommendations.)
And as if all of this wasn’t adventurous enough, we decided to throw stability to the wind and follow God’s call to plant a church. We left behind a secure job and an amazing church family, stepping out in faith to launch Veil Church. It’s a little terrifying and a lot exciting, but we’re filled with joy knowing that God is leading us to build a community that seeks His presence for all of life.
God has been so amazing with Veil Church. From the very beginning, He’s gone before us in ways we couldn’t have imagined. One of the greatest blessings has been having so many of our best friends join us in this journey. Many of them seemed to “know” we were planting a church before we ever told them—it’s been such a confirmation of God’s hand in this. Not having to do this alone is huge, and we’re overwhelmed with gratitude for the incredible community He’s surrounded us with as we step into this new season.
The kids have been keeping life exciting, loud, and full of stories worth sharing. Here’s the latest on all six:
• Eliora is officially behind the wheel! She got her permit this year and learned to navigate Phoenix traffic (yes, even the 101). True to firstborn form, she couldn’t wait a second longer and got her license at 8 a.m. on December 26th (since the DMV is closed on her birthday the day before). She’s grown up seemingly overnight, learning life lessons about friendship, healthy conflict, and responsibility. Brittany doesn’t know how she could have survived without Eliora’s help with Boaz this year—whether it’s calming him down, holding him during the chaos, or just being an extra pair of hands, Eliora has been an incredible blessing to our family.
• Eden James is thriving in 9th grade as a great student, but let’s be honest—he’d much rather spend his days playing guitar and listening to the Beatles, Needtobreathe, Jon Foreman, and Judah and the Lion. His room looks like a musician’s paradise, with an electric guitar and a banjo now hanging proudly on the wall alongside his acoustic. A highlight this year was his birthday guys’ trip to watch Needtobreathe perform live on the Bay in San Diego.
• Haddon is our math genius, with his Rubik’s Cube-solving time down to under a minute! He regularly beats the entire family at board games, which we’re totally not bitter about. He also loves irony and sarcasm, which has turned him into quite the cultural analyst. Unsurprisingly, his favorite documentaries are Matt Walsh’s What Is a Woman? and Am I Racist? Haddon keeps us laughing and thinking at the same time—a rare and impressive skill for a middle schooler.
• Yvonne turned 9 going on 16. Her sass and sweetness are in constant competition, making her a perfect mix of Daddy’s sweet little girl and Xena: Warrior Princess. Some days, she dreams of living in Scottsdale; other days, she’s all about farm life with dreads and animals galore. She loves Sunday afternoon naps with Daddy and has formed some truly deep friendships that have been a joy to see. Yvonne keeps life interesting with her blend of charm, grit, and plenty of heart.
• Calvin…well, let’s just say “butt cheek” is his favorite word. Wrestling, Nerf battles, and first grade have been his jam. He’s trying hard to keep up with the big boys but doesn’t mind playing mom’s little man card when it’s convenient. Seriously, the kid puts away as much food as the teenager. After being the baby for six years, he’s learning what it means to be an awesome big brother—and eating like one too.
• Boaz is the surprise blessing we didn’t know we needed. (Apparently, the other five kids had been secretly praying for him for months!) He brings so much joy to our home, and while we’re older and sleep is more precious than ever, we’re grateful for the many helping hands to pitch in with our sweet little guy.
The Fine kids have kept us on our toes and our hearts full. Watching them grow and learn has been one of the greatest joys of this wild year.
Through all the ups, downs, and wild plot twists, 2024 has been a year of reminders: God is good, His plans are perfect, and joy can be found even in the middle of chaos. We’re so grateful for your prayers, support, and encouragement as we step into this new season.
So here’s to 2025: fewer floods, less lice, and more of God’s goodness (and maybe a nap or two).
With love and laughter,
The Fine Family
(Eden, Brittany, Eliora, Eden-James, Haddon, Yvonne, Calvin, and Boaz)
Eden Fine 